The Unlucky Number 8
by Kitty-Kat Allie
Summary: Everyone has a little 'unluck' in their lives. Some people have more, some people have less than others. This is a story of one of those people. You'll have to decide which one I am, lucky or unlucky? Hinata's POV and 3rd POV. Kibanata Oneshot


Everybody has a little unluck. I believe my life to be covered with incidents of what can be termed as 'bad luck'. I don't feel like I'm complaining, just stating a fact. Strangely, all this 'unluck' of mine seems to revolve around one number. I never noticed it until I was in my preteens, and then I knew what to look for. Whenever I noticed the number, just in passing- on a clock, written on a book, my age, or the date- I knew…_something_ was about to happen. I believe it all started on the day I was born, after all, I was born on my unlucky number. December 8th.

How could such an even, well-rounded number be unlucky? It's easy number to write, there's no oddness to it. In fact, it's drawn with a single, smooth, curvy line. It could be considered pretty…if numbers _could_ be considered pretty. So, besides for my birthday, how could eight be so unlucky?

Going back -years ago-, I remember my eighth birthday.

&&&&&&&

Iruka-sensei handed the paper to her. He smiled at her and winked. "Great job, Hinata-chan." He continued past her and she flipped it over with a fast beating heart. She sighed and her eyes drooped slightly with sadness.

"Hey, whatcha sighing for? That's an awesome grade! A 92, wow." Hinata turned around with wide eyes. Her seatmate, Inuzuka, Kiba, grinned back at her.

"Look, I've got a… 80! Twelve whole points more 'n me. You're pretty smart."

Hinata shook her head mutely, a blushing rising on her face.

"Yeah! Really! You're one the smartest girls here…and a lot less annoying about it." He trailed off as his strangely-pupiled black eyes slid over to where Haruno-san and Yamanaka-san were screaming about each other's perfect paper.

"_NO_! I got it off talent. You just copied off of someone else's paper!"

"_Right_, Billboard head. I don't need to cheat to be all around perfect. I mean, look at that chicken scratch! My calligraphy is 100 times better than that!" She crowed.

"I-I'm sure…th-they're very nice in p-person…"

"Nope. They're always stupid. You're a lot better than _them_. And you did real good!" He gave her a thumbs up. She blushed and stared down at the large red 92.

"Thank you, Inuzu-zuka-san." Her voice became so quiet he almost didn't hear when she said next. "But I'm not good enough…"

She could feel his eyes on her as Iruka-sensei made it back to the front of the classroom.

"Remember what I told you about the proper way about throwing kunai. Tomorrow is your first day of practice. Hinata-chan, would you mind staying after class?"

Hinata shook her head quickly, a blush rising on her face as her other classmates turned to look at her. The bell rang, thankfully, and everyone hurried out. Her pale eyes watched as one blonde head darted out of the room. She gathered her stuff and walked down to the teacher's desk.

"Hinata-chan, good, I'm glad you remembered not to leave." He shuffled his papers together and shoved them into the desk drawer. "Your father sends me a note regularly about your progress at home. You've been throwing kunai and shuriken since you were five, correct?"

"H-Hai…d-demo…"

"If you wouldn't mind, could you sit out tomorrow so the other children aren't intimidated by your skill? It wouldn't really be fair to them."

"D-Demo…I-I-Iruka-sen-sensei…"

"I'd really appreciate it. I know you don't like spotlight, so maybe this would be best. I already asked Sasuke-kun to let other's try first before showing off what he has already learned."

"I-Iruka-sensei, dem-demo!"

"Yes, Hinata-chan?" He smiled kindly down at her. She blushed and looked at her toes.

"I…O-Okay…"

"I need to go speak with the other instructors, so I have to go. Thank you for understanding, Hinata-chan." He smiled, ruffled her hair, and left. She shuffled slowly after him.

"Oi! What'd you stutter so much for? He woulda listened if you spoke up, Hina-chan!" Hinata squeaked loudly and jumped high in the air. She spun around, her short hair swishing over her eyes.

"I-Inuzuk-zuka-san!" She gasped.

"I waited for you. You seem kinda sad. You want me to walk you home?" Inuzuka asked.

"An-ano…"

"All right, let's go." He grabbed her hand and dragged her forward. "So, what were you trying to tell the teacher?"

"I…I…I'm n-not v-very good at th-throwing kun-kunai or sh-shuri-riken. I w-wanted t-to practice at sch-school s-so I c-could improve." Hinata stammered slowly and quietly. Inuzuka-san remained politely quiet and listened closely.

"Why didn't you just spit that out?" He asked confused.

"I-I…d-didn't wan-want t-to disappoint I-Iruka-sensei." Hinata whispered.

"That's stupid. Tomorrow, I'll make sure you practice with me. Don't worry about that 92, okay? You're definitely good enough. I promise." She smiled up at him slowly. He grinned back. She just barely saw fangs glinting on his lower lip. "You should come to my house this Friday. One of my sister's dogs is pregnant! One of the puppies is going to be mine!" They reached her compound as he grinned at her excitedly.

"I-I'll ask…" Inuzuka-san ran off, leaving behind a glow on her face.

Minutes later, she entered the room where her three-year-old sister and her father were sparring. Hanabi fell with a loud crash and Hinata ran forward.

"Hanabi-immouto-chan! Daijoubu desu ka?"

"Dai-daijoubu desu." The tiny girl managed to stutter.

"This spar is over, Hanabi. Rest and prepare to watch your sister." Hanabi nodded and sat down on the side of the room with a very small sigh. "Did you do any practices at the Academy today?"

"No…just paper work, Otousan." Hinata replied as she took off her jacket and set it off to the side. She walked to face her father and settled into her stance.

"Your ankles aren't stiff enough. Straighten your back…re-position your right elbow." He nodded as she quickly corrected the minute mistakes in her stance. "I will tell Iruka that you need more sparring practice. Begin."

After thirty minutes of taijutsu, her father finally struck her, sending her flying backwards. She managed to stay on her feet and drew shuriken from her pouch. At the last second, her eyes met her father's, her hands twitched. The shuriken flew off target just by inches. But those inches were enough. Suddenly, her father threw kunai straight at her. Although her Byakugan was still activated, she couldn't dodge and block all six, and two got past her defenses. She threw up her arms and they stabbed deeply into her arms. She cried out in pain as she fell to her back.

"Never feel mercy, never show pain! How many times do I have to tell you this? You must always throw at the target! I don't care if you're aiming at Hanabi, you will fight seriously _every time_ you fight." Hinata rose slowly from the ground, trying her hardest not to cry.

"G-Gomen na-nas-sai…" She stuttered. She grasped one kunai and yanked it from her arm. She bit her lip hard to keep from crying out yet again.

"Stand up straight! You are a Hyuuga and heir! Stand up and face me!" Hinata struggled to her feet. "Your sister, only three and training for four months, has learned these lessons. You must attack every time with the intent to win! She has already successfully blocked one of my blows and can use her Byakugan to a greater extent then you! You are an embarrassment to me!"

Hinata let the bloody kunai fall and quickly pulled out the second one. Blood slipped down her chin as more slipped from the wounds in her forearms.

"Didn't you have a written exam due back? Did you receive it?"

"H-Hai…" She gasped pressing her hands against the slowly bleeding wounds. He walked to her backpack as her sister ran forward with bandages. She watched with apprehensive eyes, licking her bloody lip, as he pulled out the sheet of paper.

"You have _two_ questions completely wrong? And this one, you had points taken off from it. Are you stupid?"

"I-Iie…g-go-gomen n-n-nas-sai, O-O-O-"

"Stop stuttering like a child, Hinata." She ceased from speaking. "You are a shame to this family." Hinata stared at the hardwood floor, her eyes swimming with tears she wouldn't allow fall. "I will make a deal with you both, Hanabi, Hinata. If Hanabi, when she becomes a student at the Academy, becomes a better student then you by the time she's eight, then you, Hinata, will be denounced. Hanabi will take your place as successor and you will be sealed like Neji, do you both understand this?"

"D-demo, Otousan! Hinata-nee-chan is older than me!" Hanabi's childish voice protested.

"I'm sure the elders will over look it if I explain this deal of ours. Both of you, leave, the lesson is over. Be sure that your wounds are bound properly, Hinata."

"H-Hai, O-Otousan." She forced out. He left the two children.

"I can't bandage you properly, Oneechan. My hands…"

"You're only three, Hanabi-immouto-chan." Hinata smiled weakly at her little sister. "I'll be okay."

&&&&&&&

My childhood was never fun, sadly. Inuzuka-san, however, had remained a… friend of sorts after that day he finally spoke to me. He slowly turned into Kiba-san by my tenth birthday. We had never been very close, but he made sure I practiced and was often my partner…when he wasn't skipping class. Our seats changed, however, after my tenth birthday, and we had slowly grown apart. Which brings me to my next bad luck moment.

By my twelfth year, I was madly in love with Uzumaki, Naruto and dreamed of the moment he would notice me, or just say my name. When our teams were chosen, I hoped beyond hope that he would be my partner. I knew, if only he was my team mate, that I could change into a better me, a stronger me. A part of me, also wanted Kiba-san to be on my team. I remembered how kind he had been to me, one of the first to ever approach me with a genuine smile…and I missed that smile. Sadly, Team Seven was the team my love interest was placed in, and I was placed in Team Eight. I was glad I was placed in Kiba-san's group and Aburame-san was a mysterious stranger I had been wanting to talk to for a long time.

But Naruto-kun was placed on the team with the beautiful Sakura-san whom _he_ was in love with. There was no way he'd ever notice me now and I was left believing I would never change.

Another stroke of bad luck that came my way shortly after this happened in the Chuunin preliminaries. Of all the people I could possibly face up against, Neji-nii-san was the one randomly chosen for me. I could have had a chance with Ino-san, maybe even Sakura-san, but there was no way I could ever defeat the 'genius' of the Hyuuga family.

It was the eighth battle of the prelims.

&&&&&&&&

She murmured slightly, her eyes squinting against the blinding light on the other side of her eyelids. She slowly opened her eyes and glanced around. Kiba-kun was looking down on her, tape stretched over the bridge of his nose and a bandage around his head.

"K-Kiba-kun…" She interrupted herself and coughed painfully. His hands held down her shoulders and then brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"Don't talk, you're really weak. You went into cardiac arrest after your fight with Neji." He wiped blood away from her cheek and mouth. "I told you to forfeit, Hinata-chan, why didn't you?"

"N-Naruto-kun…"

"He's going to get you killed! Shino told me about what happened. You got back up, what, five times? Just because he was cheering you on? There's only so much determination can win you before you're dead. Don't kill yourself for that idiot."

"D-demo, Kiba-kun…" She coughed again, curling around her chest. He quickly pushed her back and turned her head to the side. Blood splattered across the white sheets.

"Shit, I'm sorry. Just breathe, I'll shut up and you just breathe, okay?" Hinata nodded slightly. Her cheeks flushed as his arms wrapped around her shoulders. "I thought…I thought you were going to die, Hinata. I was so scared." He whispered.

"K-Kiba-kun…" Loud, angry voices filtered through the door. Kiba-kun released his hold and rose, facing the door.

"Go back to sleep, Hinata, I'll deal with him."

"Wh-who? Who is it? Is it my father?" Her breath caught warningly as she rose.

"Lay back down, Hinata. You don't need to hear his shit when you're still too weak to speak."

"De-demo!" His black eyes bored into hers, anger and possessiveness glowing in his eyes.

"Lay back down." She lay back on the bed. The door flew open. Hiashi, closely followed by Kurenai and Shino-kun, walked through. Hinata watched as Kiba-kun's spine straightened. "She's still too sick to talk."

"She's awake then?" Hiashi asked. His white eyes went straight to hers. He immediately dismissed Kiba. "Are you stupid? Do you have a death wish? Surely there's an easier path to suicide. Not only have you shamed this family, again, but you shamed yourself! You lost to a branch family member! You should have forfeited before facing that humiliation! Now, your cousin will become Chuunin before you- _you_, the heir of _the_ Hyuuga family! Never have I been so ashamed."

"O-Otousan, g-go-"

"Don't apologize to him!" Kiba shouted, once again placing himself in Hiashi's way.

"Remove yourself."

"No. You need to leave before I push the nurse button."

"You can't force me to leave my daughter's room."

"SHE'S UNWELL AND ALMOST DIED AND YOU'RE YELLING AT HER! YOU CAN DAMN WELL GET OUT!" Kiba roared angrily. At his feet, Akamaru, who had been strangely quiet the whole time, began to bark loudly.

"Who do you think you are?"

"Her _team mate!_ Who the hell do _you_ think _you_ are, coming in and making her feel worse when she almost died trying to prove to _you_ that she can change! She wanted to be stronger for _you_! If she had forfeited without trying, you would have been just as angry. So you can fucking leave."

"Kiba, don't talk to an elder like that!" Kurenai snapped.

"You bet your ass I'm going to talk like this. Make this bastard leave! I will call the doctor and have him _forced_ out. How will your Hyuuga pride take that?" Kiba smirked. Hiashi's face twisted in anger.

"I will return when you are well." He snapped at Hinata. She merely stared at Kiba standing at her side. The door slammed behind him.

"Well, of all the stupid shit…" Kurenai muttered. Kiba suddenly collapsed onto the hospital bed with a weak laugh. Akamaru jumped into his lap with a comforting bark.

"I was scared shitless. I almost pissed myself." Kiba confessed. Hinata's hand touched his.

"Thank you for looking out for me." They shared a smile. Her eyes began to drift closed. "I think the number eight is rather unlucky…" She murmured.

"Yeah... maybe for you…" Kiba agreed petting her hair. She fell asleep peacefully.

&&&&&&&

My team became my family. They protected me and loved me, each in their own way. Kurenai replaced a mother I barely remembered. Shino-kun became a brother that encouraged me, even without words. Kiba-kun…was something different…not quite a brother, but something close. A _team mate_ was the only way I could describe him. Then, came that most painful year, the year my heart broke as the boy I loved left to train. The year my father reminded me of an old 'deal'.

&&&&&&

"Today is Hanabi's birthday, she's eight." Hinata explained as she searched the shop for a gift.

"She's turning eight on the eighth of August? That's pretty weird…" Kiba joked. Hinata suddenly blanched.

"Eight…eight…eight…oh no…" Hinata whispered. Her hands began to shake.

"What? What's going on? You look like you saw a ghost!" Kiba exclaimed. His hand pressed against her forehead.

"I'm… I'm fine… Something…something bad is going to happen today. Really bad…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Hinata!" A new voice called out to her from behind. Her whole body seemed to still. "OI! Kiba, awesome, I found both of you!" Naruto caught up with them easily.

"You look pretty excited. What's going on?" Kiba asked one hand on Hinata's shoulder.

"I'm leaving! Finally! Ero-sennin is taking me off to train! I'll come back in about three years and be more badass than ever! Then, I'll be able to save Sasuke!"

A small noise escaped from Hinata's throat.

"Hinata? Are you okay? You haven't said anything." Naruto became slightly worried when she refused to meet his eyes.

"N-Nandemo. G-Good luck…Naruto-kun." She forced out. It was like acid in her mouth. She wanted to throw up until the taste of the words were gone. _He's leaving!? What will I do without him? He's the reason I'm so strong today! I still need to be so much stronger!_

"Thank- Hinata!" Naruto's eyes widened as she took off running without a glance back. "What happened? Is she late for something?"

"No, you imbecile! See you in a few years!" Kiba took off after her.

_Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry!_ Hinata screamed to herself. She flung open the front door and tossed her shoes to the side.

"Hinata!" She paused at her father's voice. _I need to hide! I need to cry where no one will see! I can't hold it in!_ "Come, now!" She obeyed her father's beckoning. "Good, now that you're both here." Hinata looked around in surprise. Hanabi was standing just a little ways to her left. "I made a deal with you two… five years ago, I believe."

Hinata felt the last of her emotions crack and bleed away. She was suddenly so very empty.

_It was all for nothing._

"Today, Hanabi has turned eight. Look at the papers on the desk, Hinata." Eight papers were set neatly side by side. All with a red 100 written in the top right corner. "She has become a better student and has always been a better kunoichi than you. Therefore, if, by your eighteenth birthday, you do not prove yourself worthy to myself _and_ the council of elders, Hanabi will replace you and the Seal of the Caged-Bird will be placed upon you. You have five years and four months to prove yourself able to change my mind." She felt his eyes boring into her face. She refused to look up. "You are both dismissed."

The door slid closed behind the two sisters.

"H…Hinata-nee-chan?"

"I need to go."

"Go where? Please, Hinata-nee-chan…I never asked…"

"I know…but…too much…too much is crashing down today." She smiled shallowly.

Something about her seemed wooden, fake, even more so than her smile. There was no innate grace to her step, no nervousness to her movements, just…stillness. Her footsteps carried her out the door, leaving behind both her family and her shoes.

_Family? I don't have a _family_…Just a name…_ The tears were coming back, the woodenness was melting away.

"H-Hinata! I found you!" She turned around, her hair flaring around her face.

"K-Kiba-kun…"

"Yea- Oi! You're all pale again!" She darted forward and threw herself up against him.

"I'm about to break apart." She whispered to his chest. "I can't let anybody see…"

"Wha? Ano… we can go to my house?" She nodded mutely.

They disappeared from the street, leaving behind two logs. Hinata glanced around and saw a very messy room, mostly covered in white fur.

"Sorry, about the mess. I'll shove some stuff off my bed, here." He literally _shoved_ the mess of blankets and clothes off his bed. "Sit down, _calm_ down, okay?" Hinata stared at the bare sheets and her hands clasped together tightly.

"What…what have I done?" Hinata whispered.

"What?" He stopped trying to shove his mess under his bed and looked at her.

"Did I… Did I do something wrong? I've tried so hard, could I have tried harder?" Her whole body was trembling. "Why aren't I good enough, Kiba-kun? Am I lacking something? Is there something wrong with me?" Her last words came out loud and shrill. Tears flowed down her face, completely ignored. "Aren't I good enough yet?"

Her eyes opened wide as arms wrapped around her. The warmth that filled her at his touch caused her whole body to relax into his. The dams that had cracked burst open and tears rushed out of her. Her whole body was racked with her sobs and trembling. Years, years of trying, and there was nothing left in her. All that was left was her broken heart held tightly in her teammate's arms.

"No, no, Hinata, there's no one better than you. Anybody who can't see that… they're stupid and blind. You've grown up so much since I've met you. You shoot chakra blades from your hands, for Pete's sake! The fact that you tried at all makes you a better person than half of those people out there! So far, the only other person I've ever met who's anything like you is Lee. And he's crazy, you know?"

She laughed weakly through her sobs. She gulped back a hiccup as he lifted her up in his arms. He sat down on the bed, leaned his back against the wall, and settled her in his lap. His hand stroked her hair comfortingly as her sobs slowly abated.

"I notice Hinata. I notice how hard you try and how much better you are. There's no one I've ever met, besides that crazy, big-browed guy, who still has a heart like yours no matter how many times everyone beats you down. Forget about Naruto and your dad, they're bastards. Just…come to me…or Shino or Kurenai. We're your family, and we'll always be your family." His lips touched her forehead lightly.

"_I'll_ always be here." He promised quietly.

&&&&&&&

He was right. I had known it before, but in those moments, so fast and fleeting as they were, I had forgotten. He was my family, all three of them were. With them, I knew true strength. Naruto-kun would always be in my heart, a goal I continually tried to reach. I would love him for the strength he never knew he gave me. But I would love my family for the love they gave me. That day, as I sobbed all my bitterness away in Kiba-kun's arms, I finally knew what he was to me.

_Safety. _In his arms, I found safety, something I had never found with anybody else. I didn't need to be strong or weak, beautiful or plain, kind or selfish, I was just me. Only my heart, however broken it was, was needed in that distilled moment of time in Kiba-kun's arms.

A moment I treasured as much as my love for Naruto-kun…maybe even more. Safety is a feeling that makes a person truly content. Safety means trust, compassion, _love_. It's a feeling that makes a person glad to be alive. A feeling I desperately needed as my goals crumbled in less than twenty minutes.

When I was sixteen the next struggle with my 'unluck' began. If you look at it a certain way, 16 is only 8 plus 8, ne?

&&&&&&&

Hinata glanced at the tall blonde sitting on the stool next to hers. For the past two hours they had "hung out." She still blushed under his direct gaze or an inadvertent touch, and her heart still throbbed when he grinned that silly grin of his. She still loved him. And now, at last, she would confess. More than four years of silence was ridiculous. If only her voice would work!

"Hinata, you going to speak up?" She squeaked and glanced at his smiling face. "You've been really quiet since we got here." He frowned intently as an idea came to him.

"N-Nani?"

"You don't like ramen, is that it? All this time and you've been eating it for my sake?"

"I-Iie! Th-that's not it!" Hinata protested. _I really don't like it, though…_

"Oh, that's good. What _is_ wrong then?"

"I-I…" She glanced back down at her still almost full bowl and blushed. "I have s-something r-really important to say." She was proud of her control over her natural stammer. It had taken three years, but she definitely stammered a great deal less.

"Okay. What is it?"

"It's…It's about m-me…" She glanced at the clock. It was almost eight, but she couldn't hold it in! She would lose her nerve again!

Naruto leaned close. "Are you pregnant?" He whispered.

"NO!" Naruto laughed at the embarrassment and outrage in her face.

"Then spit it out! You can tell me anything."

"Ar-arigatu…" She closed her eyes and breathed in deep. "I…I…l-love…you…" She had whispered it so quietly she was almost afraid he hadn't heard her. "I…have loved you…for a very _long_ time, Naruto-kun…" When he didn't answer, she opened her eyes and met his.

And her broken heart broke more.

His face was so serious and sad. Almost hidden in his beautiful blue eyes she saw _that_ emotion. She knew that expression -that look- in another's eyes, she knew it too well. She almost didn't hear him call her name as she sped away, her long hair streaming behind her. That look was the same one the other Hyuugas eyed her with almost every day. Ever since she was a child, that look had been her constant companion and looked at her through so many different eyes. It was a look she had hoped she had grown out of to those who knew her. She had hoped that look would never look her way from those blue eyes. She had tried so hard to keep him from feeling what she feared and hated most.

Pity.

Pity had looked at her though beloved blue eyes. The loneliness tore though her like poison. But she couldn't cry, not yet. There wasn't anywhere safe to hide. No where… but with _him._ Her teammate, her best friend, her family… her safety.

_Kiba-kun._

He was still training with Shino and Akamaru when she ran onto the training grounds. Relief flooded her seeing the dear, familiar faces turning towards her.

"Hinata-chan!" Kiba exclaimed.

"Hinata!" Shino recalled his bugs and rushed forward with Kiba and Akamaru. "What happened?"

She could only shake her head and raise her arms. And his strong arms caught her and pulled her close. She let her body fall into him as her hidden tears finally fell. She felt herself being lowered to the ground as he kneeled.

"What happened?" Kiba asked worry filling his voice.

"Give her a second, Kiba. She needs to catch her breath."

"I-I sh-should've kn-known b-b-better." She sobbed. "Eight's m-my unlucky n-number."

"Hinata-chan?" His rough voice was low and soothing.

"I f-finally t-told h-him. I-I t-told N-Naruto-kun m-my fee-fee-feelings." She choked out past sobs. "H-He just _l-looked_ at m-me… h-he _p-pitied_ me. I-I s-saw it." Her sobs became louder and fiercer. She could barely get the words past her lips. "I-I-It h-hurts! It _h-hurts_!"

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here now, I've got you. Stop trying to talk. Just cry until it's all gone, okay? Me 'n Shino 'n Akamaru are here for you now."

She could only nod. Her fingers clutched at his chest and snot and tears streamed down her face. Her loud, open-mouthed sobs were muffled against his chest. But she wasn't embarrassed. She wanted to cry forever, there in the safety of his arms. Akamaru nuzzled his way under her elbow and licked her cheek as he whined softly and anxiously.

"It's getting late now, Hinata. We should get you home." Shino said after her tears finally became stuttering hiccups.

"A-All right." Hinata pulled away from Kiba and wiped at her eyes and nose with her sleeves. "I'll walk myself home, though. You don't need to trouble yourselves further."

"It isn't a trouble, Hinata-chan!"

"You're family."

Hinata glanced up at their stubborn faces and felt her mouth curve into a wavering smile. "I…I almost f-forgot that." Shino placed a hand on her hair and his mouth moved up in a smile to match hers, a rare sight she always felt privileged to see.

"I…actually believe just Kiba should walk you home." They both glanced at him. "I'm no good at comforting. He's been good at it for years." Shino explained. Kiba blushed and rose awkwardly to his feet.

"Well, she keeps throwing herself at me." He muttered. She giggled, unhurt, knowing enough of him now to know he often said rude things to cover up a 'weakness'. He extended his hand and grinned toothily. "Good to hear you still have laughter in there after all that crying, Hina-chan." She blushed and took his hand. She almost lost balance, but caught herself and rose.

"Thank you both. Are you sure it won't be a bother to you and Akamaru?"

"No way! We like a good night walk, right, Akamaru?" Akamaru barked eagerly.

"I guess I have no choice then, with such a handsome boy wanting to take me home." She scratched behind Akamaru's ears. She swiped at her eyes one last time and then turned to Shino. "Thank you again for being with me."

"No need to thank me for doing what I wanted to do." He turned and left the other three members of Team 8 behind.

"We better get going. It really is late."

Kiba loped his arms around her shoulders as he said it and tucked her up against him. It was no use to struggle or be embarrassed with Kiba-kun. Besides, it felt good to be held like something precious after being rejected. They walked in silence towards her house. As they neared her compound, his arm dropped from her shoulders.

"Don't think too much tonight, okay? Whenever you start thinking you start feeling sorry for yourself and I can't show up in your room in the middle of the night to make you feel better." He lightly poked her forehead to enunciate his words.

"Thank you, Kiba-kun." She gasped slightly as Akamaru pushed her with his head. "And you, Akamaru! Thank you, too!" She knelt down and hugged the large dog tightly. He licked her ear surprising a laugh out of her. She stood up with one last pat and turned back to Kiba. "Thank you, again…for everything." His hand reached up and stroked her face. His eyes were so intense and focused on her. It was strange how fast her heart sped.

"Knowing you count on me…there's no need to thank me for that." Hinata's wide, pale eyes stared up into his own strangely canine black ones. He abruptly turned his head towards the ground, his mouth twisting downwards as if angry. His pulled his hand away quickly, clenching it into a fist at his side.

"Kiba-kun? What's wrong?" Her voice was filled with concern.

"N-Nothing! Nothing's wrong! I'm fine!" He hurriedly assured her with his wide grin.

"You…You're lying to me." Her voice was quiet. "Why are you lying to me, Kiba-kun? You can tell me if anything's wrong, I promise. I'm here for you, too."

"It's nothing, really! I don't want to talk about it!"

"To me?"

"Nani?"

"Do you not want to talk about it…to me?" Her voice was so small and painful.

"No, that's not it. I just…_can't_, not now, Hina-chan. Please, it's nothing important."

"It's important to me if you're in pain… or in trouble…or anything. Please, I know I can help you. You've done so much for me…don't you think I can help?"

"No. You can't, Hinata…not _now_." His words hit her like a hammer and her body shook with it.

"You…I thought…after the Chuunin exams…you believed in me…do you still think I'm weak?" She whispered clutching her jacket over her heart. His eyes widened.

"No! No! It's not like that! I know you _can_ help, but…you _won't…you can't_."

"I don't understand! Don't you trust me? Or have you been lying to me?"

"I trust you with my life, Hinata!"

"Then, why can't you trust me with your secrets? Or your pain? What do I mean to you?" She cried out. _It's too much. I'm going to cry again. What's going on? Why's everything going so wrong?_ She felt her shoulders shaking with the sobs that were building up again. "Obviously…you still think I'm someone too weak to help you…"

"Damnit!"

Hinata's eyes widened as hands grasped her shoulders roughly and dragged her forward. A mouth slammed hard into her own, so hard she could feel his teeth behind the thin skin and muscles of his mouth and lips. Her wide eyes barely comprehended his eyebrows drawn low over his nose, the frown wrinkles in his dusky skin, the way his brown hair fell in spikes over his forehead. Then, his kiss gentled as his face relaxed. His grip on her shoulders loosened slightly and he stepped closer to her, making her head fall back. She faintly felt the urge to rise on her toes. His fingers wound into her long, loose hair and his arm -when did it get around her waist?- lifted her closer to his mouth and off the ground.

_Ki-kiba-kun is…is_ kissing_ me? What?_

It felt…safe…there in his arms with his mouth pressing against hers and his fingers cradling the back of her head. Time seemed to stop…

And it started again. She pulled away and suddenly her hand was stinging. She stared at it, wondering why it smarted. She looked back at him…his face was angled strangely to the side, as if he had been punched across the face…or slapped…across…the face. He slowly let his face turn to meet hers. His eyes were dark with pain and anger. His gaze made her knees tremble and she took another step back.

"That's what wrong, Hinata. You can't help me, can you?"

"K-Kiba-kun…wh-what…"

"I love you, damn it! Don't pretend like you don't understand!" His shout left her ears ringing…though…he hadn't been _that_ loud. Maybe it was her mind, ringing with his words, bouncing through her skull like a javelin in a rubber room. She brought her hands up and covered her ears.

"N-No…you can't…why would you…you _can't_." Tears were leaking from her eyes.

"Why not? If you can fall in love with an idiot, I don't see why I can't fall in love with the most perfect girl I know." Her eyes flew to his. His mouth was in a twisted little smirk, the hand print still glowing red on his cheek.

"What…do you mean?"

"You…you don't realize how special you are, but _I_ do. Ever since I first met you, you've always been good enough, Hinata. Maybe not as a kunoichi or with bravery, but you've always had a bigger heart than anyone I've ever known. I didn't realize that I loved you for it until a few years ago… when you cried in my arms."

"B-but…why didn't I... I would've known…"

"Not if you didn't want to see it." Hinata gasped slightly. "You should go inside now. I don't think you'll be coming back to use me as a shoulder to lean on anymore, ne?" His chuckle was hollow. "Come on, Akamaru." The big, white dog whined and pressed his cold, wet nose to her hand. She pulled away. Akamaru whined and her heart squeezed. But it was too late to take it back.

She watched them go and fell silently to her knees, her hands still clasped uselessly over her ears, and tears falling from her wide, shocked eyes. _My…safety…my haven…it's gone…_

&&&&&&&&

I learned that even love for me was unlucky that day. Who knew eight letters could wreck so much damage in so little an amount of time?

Kiba-kun and I became friends again slowly. After all, almost every mission I went on had Kiba-kun as my partner. We worked well together. We worked like a unit. We each complemented each other in both battle and tracking. But…something was missing after that night. Some closeness or just _something_ was gone. I mourned that loss of Kiba-kun more than I mourned the rejection of Naruto-kun. I expected the rejection…I didn't expect Kiba-kun's confession…or the slap it resulted in.

Years passed, and our friendship was almost the same as it had been for years. By the month of my sister's thirteenth birthday, I figured his love for me had faded away. I often saw him with other women, women who flirted and flaunted and teased with him. It hurt me to see it. It was a strange kind of pain. I rejected his feelings, but watching him move on and forget those feelings for me hurt. Almost as if I wanted him to love me and continue loving me even if I felt I could never return those feelings. It was one of the few selfish emotions I'd ever felt. I felt…almost special, like he told me I was, knowing he was in love with me. So, even when I couldn't return his feelings, I wanted him to continue to have them. I felt…betrayed…when he moved on.

That month, though, that hot, sunny month of August…the last instance of unluck began.

&&&&&&&&&

_It's the eighth of August. My sister's birthday…and my unluckiest number rolled into one. Something bad is going to happen again. I've been too lucky since…since last year…_

"Hinata-sama?"

She turned to meet identical white eyes in a male face.

"Neji-nii-san, what is it?"

"Your father is requesting our presence. I believe Hanabi-sama will be there, too." A smile grew over Hinata's face. It seemed different, though…sardonic and hollow.

"I knew it was coming. It never fails." She glanced to the calendar. "I needed to wish her happy birthday, anyway. Let's go, shall we?" She linked her arm with Neji's and began to walk forward. He followed immediately by habit, though he was absolutely dumbfounded.

"Hinata-sama?"

"I guess you don't like being too close, but since we're cousins…I wanted to act like this once. I wish we could have been better friends."

"You sound like you're about to die."

"No…only become caged."

His eyes darted to hers, wide and confused. "You don't mean…"

"Of course, I do. You don't believe otherwise, do you? You don't have to be so shocked or try and make me feel better. I'm quite all right. I always felt a little caged…now I'd have the mark to prove it."

"Hinata-sama, please, you might be wrong." She said nothing, but the tiny, hollow smile remained. He fell silent as well, listening to their footsteps slowly echo down the hallway. He believed she was right and couldn't protest and mean it.

"Good, you're here. Sit down." Her father had become a gentler man. Maybe it was his age, or knowing he'd found a suitable heir. Or maybe it was the loving influence of his failure daughter that had finally crept its way into his heart. Who knew? But the three younger generation Hyuugas didn't complain or point it out. The kinder man he'd become made them all closer.

"Hinata…you've become an excellent kunoichi." She blushed hearing the words she'd thought she would never hear. "You've surpassed my expectations, and the council's, of what you could become. You've successfully completed almost every mission you've been on, and you became a Jonin not one month ago."

"But I'm not good enough." Her words were quiet, but firm. There was no stutter, no pain, just fact. "Hanabi-immouto-chan has much more potential than I've ever had."

"You are correct. Then, you know what I'm about to tell you?" His eyes, usual opaque and emotionless, were filled with emotion now. Pride, in _her_, warred with doubt in his eyes.

"Hai, and she fully deserves it."

"IIE! NO! I won't do it!" Hanabi burst out. They turned to her in surprise. "You've tried so hard to gain acceptance, Hinata-nee-chan! Your determination has been my impetus all these years! I've grown up knowing and wanting to live my life for you! I don't want to become heir!" Hinata blinked in surprise.

"I…I always thought…you _wanted_ to become heir. I thought that's why you always tried so hard…" Hinata murmured. Neji nodded quietly in agreement.

"No, I wanted to become the best kunoichi I could be _because_ of you. You tried your best and I couldn't do less than that, what kind of sister would I be if I half-assed myself?"

"Hanabi!" Hiashi's voice was shocked. He, too, had thought the same as Hinata and Neji.

"I've never wanted to take your place! I believed in you! I knew you'd become a great kunoichi before your eighteenth birthday, and you _have_! I can't become the heir!"

"You're already a Chuunin, immouto-chan, you've proven yourself a better ninja."

"No! No!" She shook her head violently. "You were a Chuunin at thirteen, too!"

"You've been a Chuunin for half a year, Hanabi-immouto-chan, a full six months or longer than me. I failed my first exam."

"You had to face Neji-nii-san. I had no one on par to face! It wasn't fair!"

"That's enough. The decision has already been made. The council pushed this decision. They decided who was better fit. It's already been done. Hinata will be sealed on her eighteenth birthday. There is no going back."

"You can! You can change it! You're the head of the house!"

"I will not challenge my elders' opinions. Have you no pride in your own achievements?"

"Don't you have pride in your own daughter's?"

"Hanabi-immouto-chan, please, listen to me." Hanabi spun around to face her older sister. "I never wanted to be the heir." Hanabi's eyes widened. "If given the chance, I would have chosen this fate myself. I'm meant to help others, not lead them. I would never…I would never have born it if you had been sealed. Only thirteen and you'd be clipped, your ability to fly gone. No, you have so much more potential than me. I've found my limit. I'm a Jonin and almost eighteen years old. There's no other life for me now. I have no more goals or dreams…unlike you." Her smile, true and gentle, wavered into life. "What if you had come to hate me, little sister? I would die a little inside each day you looked at me with hate inside you. I have no hate to give. I never had your passion. I don't see my cage as a jail…just… as a life I must lead. Accept what father has blessed you with and remain free."

"B-but…you won't be able to choose who you want to marry or have children that aren't approved by the council. Family has always been your passion. A family has always been your goal." Tears streamed down Hanabi's face. "I don't want to lock all your heart away! I've always noticed how much you love everybody you've met! You've loved Neji-nii-san even when he tried to kill you! You loved father even when he degraded you! You loved Naruto-san even when he ignored you! Don't you deserve to find that love returned?"

"D-demo…I don't have a special person now. There's no man in my heart for me to grieve." Something flittered across her face and across her mind. A name…a face…a warmth that she couldn't quite hold onto. "This decision is already done. Just…be grateful, Hanabi-immouto-chan. I am."

"It's not _right_."

"This conversation is over. Hanabi, don't make the council regret their choice." Hanabi gritted her teeth and left the room with bowing. Hinata quickly followed, bowing quickly to her father and Neji.

"I thought…I thought you loved him."

Hinata looked down at her sister. "Naruto-kun? Of course, I do. But I accepted his rejection years ago. There's no use brooding over it."

"No…the other guy. The guy with the dog."

Hinata's steps stopped abruptly. Hanabi looked back at her slight confused.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Hinata whispered.

"Was I wrong?"

"H-hai…" She shook her head briskly. "I…I have to go." Hinata walked away so fast, Hanabi had to jog to catch up.

"Hinata-nee-chan, what is it? What's wrong? Did I say something?"

"No…yes…no…I'm just confused." She stopped her rapid pace and turned to her little sister. "I never was in love with Kiba-kun. I was in love with Naruto-kun."

"But…whenever you're with him, Kiba-kun I mean, you're so… _happy_. But it's different now than before. I don't know when it happened, though."

"A year ago."

"What?" Hanabi glanced up at the tone of voice.

"It happened a year ago. He…told me he loved me…"

"What? What happened?"

"I…" She raised her hand and stared at her palm as if she could still feel the sting. "I slapped him."

"WHAT?" Hanabi grasped Hinata wrist and pulled her down the hall. "We need to talk." Hanabi closed the door behind her as soon as Hinata stumbled into her own room. "Explain, now, what happened." Slowly, Hinata told her what had happened that day.

"One question…_why_? An apparently awesome guy with a cute face told you he loved you and gave you an amazing kiss and you _slap him_?"

"I was…surprised."

"Are you stupid? Seriously?"

"Hanabi-immouto-chan!"

"What? Why didn't you just go out with him?"

"I was in love with Naruto-kun!"

"He had just dumped you." Hanabi's dead-panned voice made Hinata squirm.

"I was still in love with him! It wouldn't have been fair to Kiba-kun."

"Then...how _do_ you feel about Kiba-kun?"

"I…don't…know…" Hanabi sighed.

"All right, let's try it this way. How did you know you loved Naruto-san?"

"Well…he was so different from me. He was everything I wanted to be. He was strong and bright and brave. Nothing could get him down or cause him to give up. I wanted to be him…but I couldn't. So, I loved him and all those things I wanted to be."

"So…you loved what you wanted to be?"

"No, it…wasn't like that!" Hinata protested. "I'm not explaining myself correctly."

"You know what? Next question. How did you…or do you, feel about Kiba-kun?"

"Safe."

"Nani?" Hanabi almost reeled back from the answer that came so quickly and surely.

"He made me feel safe." Her whole face softened and her eyes glowed slightly as she remembered the feeling of _haven_ in his arms. "I could cry and wail and he would just hold me until it was all gone. When he held me, I felt protected and _warm_. I was safe with him. I didn't have to try harder or be better, I just had to be myself. He saw my entire soul and just held me. No one…not even father, has ever given me that feeling."

"Hinata-nee-chan, I think I realized what's missing." Hanabi frowned concentrating.

"What?"

"When I used to see you two together and when I see you now, there's something missing, and I just realized what it was." Hanabi's eyes met and held Hinata's. "Touch. He used to _touch_ you, all the time. Your hair, your shoulder, your hand, he was always touching you _somewhere_, you know? Like being that close to you made it impossible for him not to close the distance. He doesn't do that anymore, there's always a distance." She stopped. "You're crying, Hinata-nee-chan. I didn't even notice; you're so quiet."

Hinata touched her cheek and her fingers came back wet. She stared at the drops on her fingers, not really seeing them. _That's what I was missing. His closeness. His love. It all disappeared that night and it happened so fast I didn't really notice it. He withdrew all his feelings and hid them away from me until there was nothing left. Kiba-kun…I'm so sorry!_ She wrapped her arms around her waist and bowed low. Her sobs were as silent as they had been the night he walked away with her hand still on his face. It was like she couldn't really cry anymore without him there. It was so lonely crying without him.

Hanabi wrapped her arms around her older sister and her eyes narrowed. _I have to save her. She doesn't realize it, but I do and I'm going to fix it!_

That very day, with the sun closing the gap between it and the horizon, she raced through the streets of Konoha. Her sister's pale, tear-stained face frozen in sleep flashed through her mind. _I have to find him! Byakugan!_ She glanced in every direction as she jumped from lamppost to lamppost. Just as a bulb flickered to life beneath her feet, she spotted the large dog and man beside him. _Found you!_

"Kiba-kun!" He spun around, a grin on his face. It froze as Hanabi neared.

"Wha?"

"Sorry, I don't know your last name and Hinata-nee-chan calls you Kiba-kun, anyway, this is important. Hinata-nee-chan is going to be sealed in four months. You have to do something!"

"Wha? What the hell?" He glanced around looking for Hinata.

"Look, if you ask my father to marry her, I think he'll agree. He's not the same man you used to know, he's a lot kinder. He'll spare her if you ask, I'm sure of it!"

"What! Look, Hanabi, right? I can't just…how did you know…"

"OH GOOD! You're still in love with her then!?"

"I never said that! What the hell is going on? Is Hinata-chan okay?"

"NO! SHE'S GOING TO BECOME A BRANCH MEMBER AND BE A CAGED BIRD LIKE NEJI-NII-SAN IF YOU DON'T MARRY HER!" Hanabi shouted, losing her patience. Kiba blinked.

"What?"

"Look, do you love my sister or not?"

"I, ano, I can't just…" Her glaring eyes stopped his stutters. "Yes…" He whispered. "But I already tried, she won't have me. I won't force her to marry me by going to her _dad_."

"She loves you, too!"

"What? Really?" His whole face lit up. Then, he frowned. "How the hell do you know that? Why didn't she tell me herself?"

"She…doesn't realize she's in love with you." Hanabi mumbled. Kiba's frown darkened.

"Nope. No can do. I'm not going to do it. I don't know what the hell is going on, but I'm not going to force her to marry me by going to her father."

"You have to! She won't realize what she's feeling unless you spend time with her in the right way. You don't have enough time to…woo her or whatever it's called. On her eighteenth birthday she'll be sealed and become a branch member. Her entire life will be in the hands of those old men and she'll never be happy again! You can make her happy! You didn't see…you didn't see the look on her face when she talked about you."

"She talked about me?" A blush bloomed over his nose.

"I asked her about what happened about a year ago…inadvertently. She's in love with you, I'm sure of it. But she doesn't realize it, and she won't unless you have enough time to prove it to her. You can do that if you're married! You'll have forever with her! I know you can make her happy! Please, try! I…I don't want my sister to be caged and see her smile and tell me she's happy when she's not. I don't want to see her whittle away to nothing as she forces herself to believe she loves the cage she's forced into. Please, save my sister, if you love her, save her!" Hanabi begged. Kiba shared a long intense gaze with the thirteen-year-old.

"Tell me how."

Kiba stood in front of the tall, imposing, white-eyed man. His black eyes met Hiashi's defiantly.

"I want to marry your daughter."

"I know. You said so just forty seconds ago."

"Well… you acted like you didn't hear me. I repeated myself. So…can I?"

"I can't just hand her over to you! She's a Hyuuga and my daughter! Does she know anything of this?"

"No. I don't see why you can't just say yes. You're going to stick a curse on her forehead anyway. Isn't Neji good enough?"

"Who told you? Did Hinata tell you?"

"Obviously you still don't know your own daughter."

"… Young man, I refuse your request."

"Why!?"

"Your impertinence is unacceptable. No daughter of mine will marry you."

Kiba strode out, slamming the door shut. "It's not going to work."

"Only because you don't know finesse. It's too late to fix that. So…keep trying. Don't stop until he agrees."

"Are you serious?"

"Are you serious about my sister?" Another long gaze was shared.

"All right. Same time tomorrow?"

"Yes."

The next day, Kiba stood in front of the desk and stared down the middle-aged man sitting behind it.

"Konnichi wa. Remember me?"

"My answer remains no." Kiba growled and gritted his teeth.

"May I please marry your daughter?"

"No."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Excuse me?"

"I'll keep coming back until your answer changes."

"It'll never change. Her destiny has been decided. There's nothing you can do."

"Then, you'll see me a lot." That quick, cheeky grin flared. The door slid quietly shut.

After two weeks, Hiashi resorted to ignoring the young man to came every day at three. He filed papers, read scrolls, did finances, any thing he could think of during the hour the man stayed. Kiba resorted to telling him stories about the crazy shit that happened at his house on a day-to-day basis. At the beginning and end of the interview, he always asked, 'May I please marry your daughter?' He just grinned when the answer never changed. Without letting his daughter, or the damnable man, know, Hiashi had broached the subject to the elders. The vote was unanimous; Hinata would marry into the branch family and be sealed.

"Inuzuka." Kiba stopped in the middle of his story and looked up. "You need to give up."

"No. She's not going to be stuck in this place for the rest of her life."

"You can't win. The elders aren't going to let her go."

"Would you? Would you let her go with me if you could?"

"My opinion doesn't matter." Hiashi rose and wandered to the window. "My daughter will be sealed in less than four months time. You are wasting your time."

"Hinata will never be a waste of time to me." Hiasha turned. Kiba stood with his hands in fists at his side. "I've done everything I possibly could to protect her and keep from hurting her. I've been a family to her and her shoulder to lean on. I've been her friend and the only guy to ever love her. I've been there for her where you failed and where Neji failed and where Naruto failed. None of you realized how precious she is, but I did! I won't let you hide her away from me now! Damn it, no one's taking her away from me!" To Hiashi's immense astonishment, the boy glared with such ferocity it made Hiashi almost jump. "Give me a chance to talk to those bastards and I'll win, I swear to Inu, I'll convince them to let her go!"

"The answer remains the same, Inuzuka. For today." Kiba's canine eyes looked up into that stern face. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hai."

That night, a scroll arrived at the Inuzuka residence. Inside, the three family members, Tsume, Hana, and Kiba were summoned to a meeting of the elders of Hyuuga.

"What did you do, you idiot?" Tsume shouted loudly.

"The right thing, apparently." Kiba murmured.

Hinata walked into the large, interior amphitheatre where the councils were held. Her eyes glanced over the crowd and she gasped seeing Kiba and his family standing in the seats of honor. His eyes met hers and he grinned his quick grin. Her hand clasped her father's sleeve.

"What's happening? Why are they here?" She whispered with a panicked tone.

"Listen and find out."

"Let all be seated, the meeting is starting." The elder deemed head of council took the floor. "Today, our meeting is about a request never before recorded in Hyuuga's history. An outsider is daring to rebel against our decision. We are here to hear his claim." Kiba stood when the man beckoned. Kiba strode out to the middle of the floor and cleared his throat. His eyes, strangely, missed Hinata's as they swept the room.

"I think Hyuuga, Hinata should not be sealed. I think…she should come home with me and be my wife." Tsume and Hana gaped, Neji's eyes almost bugged out, and half the room was filled with angry and startled murmurs. Hinata's hands flew over her mouth

"Can you give us a good enough reason to listen to your petition?"

"Yes. She…she doesn't deserve to be sealed. After all the work she put into proving herself to you, she doesn't deserve for it to be forgotten and put aside! She's one of the best kunoichi in the village and you want to lock her away and keep her all to yourselves! She saves lives! She works hard and never stops and you refuse to care! She belongs where she's appreciated…and loved."

Hinata felt her heart squeeze. _He…still loves me? D-demo…_ One hand touched her chest.

"Do you dare suggest we've treated her poorly? A Hyu-"

"I'm not suggesting anything." His angry eyes met the main speaker's. "I'm telling you, you've treated her _poorly_."

An outbreak of outraged shouts filled the room.

"How dare you? An outsider coming in here and passing judgments! You think you can get what you want this way? You are sadly mistaken!"

Kiba's eyes glanced Hinata's way. For just one moment, her eyes and his met. She could see the emotions in his eyes that he had hidden, the feelings she thought had been burned away. Her heart throbbed beneath her hand as he pulled his gaze away. He fell to his knees. His hands slammed onto the ground. Tsume and Hana half-rose from their chairs.

"Please, I'm begging you! Allow Hinata to come home with me! I'll do anything you ask!" Kiba shouted loudly to the floor. "Hinata is no _thing_ to me, she isn't an asset, she's the only woman I want to marry and I'll protect her with my life! Please, I beg your permission to marry her!"

"Kiba, what the hell!" Tsume yelled as she came around the table.

"Sit _down_, Mom." Tsume stopped moving and stared at her son. The old men were speaking, ignoring the family-fight scene below. Hinata's eyes never left Kiba's bowed form.

"We have conditions, young man. If you agree, there is a chance we'd be more welcoming."

"What…what conditions?" Kiba asked raising his head.

"We read in your files that the majority of her missions, all but two in fact, you were involved in."

"Yeah, so?"

"You must go on every mission with her from now on, if we agree, and in the event that she is captured, you must kill her immediately and remove her head from her body."

A heavy silence filled the room. Kiba gritted his teeth angrily.

"Done." He spat. Gasps from several people, none of them the old men, echoed through the amphitheatre.

"Second, in the event she dies and is returned intact to the village, her body must be burned to ashes and buried within the Hyuuga compound."

"I agree to cremate her, but I refuse to return her here. Her body will be buried with mine, in my family plot, where she belongs. I'll agree to that." Once again, angry mutters were exchanged.

"She's of Hyuuga blood!"

"She'll have _my_ name!" Kiba snapped. The men frowned and once again turned to each other.

"Fine! If you swear by these terms, we will agree to free her to you."

"I will swear, to my fmaily's name and Inu, the god we've worshipped since our beginning."

"Kiba!"

"Mom!" His voice barked a warning.

"Wait! I, Hiashi, the head of this household, disagree with the outcome." He glanced down at the still shocked Hinata. "My daughter has said nothing to this man. He claims he can make her happier with him, but she willingly accepted the decision to be sealed. I want to hear what she has to say." Hinata glanced at her father and back at Kiba. Kiba rose slowly and his eyes met hers once again.

And time stopped. She could feel him again. His arms around her and his lips on her forehead. I'll _always be here_. His voice whispered in her mind. His mouth on hers, his hand cradling her head, his eyes on hers, the emotions blazing through him, unhidden, unchecked, all of it filled her and spun her around until she was dizzy though she never moved from her seat.

"Do you have something to say, Hinata? Do you accept this man's proposal, or will you remain a Hyuuga and protect your younger sister from outsiders?"

_Hanabi-immouto-chan wants me to be happy. She has Neji-nii-san, the entire branch family, father, and herself to protect her. This time, I have to be selfish, for Hanabi-immouto-chan and Kiba-kun as much as for me._

She could feel her body rise and walk out on the floor. His eyes began to widened as he smelled the tears forming in her eyes.

"Yes." Her hands rose and reached for him as they used to do. "This is what I want. He is what I want!" She flung herself into his arms as tears flowed down her face. His arms were already holding her so tight she felt she would break. But she loved it, the feeling, even the pain, of his arms crushing her closer and closer. _Haven…_ "I'm so sorry it took me so long to realize."

"It's all right." His low, rough voice whispered into her hair. "You're the kinda girl a guy's supposed to wait for." A low sob caught in her throat and she pressed closer.

"Take me home, Kiba. Please, take me home."

&&&&&&&

I was married on my eighteenth birthday, December 8th. The walk to the altar, the walk to _him_, seemed to take forever. The moments we said our vows seem to take longer. The kiss, however, seemed much too short. My haven had been returned to me, but was replaced with something deeper and lasting. It was heaven to me, being loved unlimitedly.

I still remember that first night vividly. If his kiss was heaven, then that night was seventh heaven. No…not even the word 'heaven' can describe the pure bliss I found beneath his hands. The night took longer than the wait to get there. It seemed to last forever, a moment distilled in time. No one could ever suspect a man like Inuzkua, Kiba to be so gentle and attentive, a man who handled his woman like glass.

But he was…and he still is.

He made my first time something so special, so beautiful, I don't think anyone could compare. My feelings for him, so startling and intense, make the feelings I once had for Naruto-kun seem shallow and childish. Just months ago, one year after our marriage, I gave birth to our first son during the eighth month of pregnancy. He looks more and more like Kiba-kun everyday, with the eyes of my father.

At night, when he sleeps, I whisper his nickname, like a spell, in his ear.

"Good night, Hachi-kun." I whisper against the dark brown fuzz of his hair.

After all, the number 8 has been pretty lucky so far, and he'll need his own share of luck if he's anything like me.


End file.
